What the heck just happened?

Across the opening two days of the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix, the top two teams in terms of points and goals scored in the regular season were knocked out while each failing to find the back of the net in the Eastern Conference, while over in the West the No. 2 seed fell on home turf in a flashback to 2016.

The elimination of Louisville City FC, the Charleston Battery and Sacramento Republic FC in the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals highlighted a wild weekend, eliminated three former title-winners, and opened up the bracket for the remaining eight teams in contention for the title.

So, where does this weekend rank all-time on the chaos scale?

Here’s a look at the five most chaotic Conference Quarterfinals since the league divided into two conferences in 2015. Here’s the method – each club’s seeding going into the postseason scores points. The more points accumulated by the eight teams to advance to the Conference Semifinals, the higher up the list the season lands.

Here we go.

5. – 2021 USL Championship Playoffs
Points: 32
Notable Upsets: No. 1 Phoenix Rising FC, No. 2 El Paso Locomotive FC

What Happened: Phoenix Rising and El Paso Locomotive had been head-and-shoulders ahead of their respective Pacific and Mountain Division rivals. Rising finished 15 points ahead of second-placed Orange County SC and boasted a +33 goal differential, while Locomotive finished 12 points ahead of second-placed San Antonio FC with a +22 goal differential while going undefeated at home.

Then in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, both teams were on the wrong side of stunning upsets. Rising fell 4-3 to No. 7 seed Rio Grande Valley FC in a penalty shootout after a thrilling 3-3 draw that saw both teams score in extra time, while Locomotive was defeated 1-0 by No. 8 seed Oakland Roots SC on a second-half goal by Jeremy Bokila.

The Aftermath: Both the Toros and Roots couldn’t sustain their runs in the Conference Semifinals, but the upsets opened up the draw for Orange County to claim the Western Conference on home turf against San Antonio FC and then win on the road against the Players’ Shield winner Tampa Bay Rowdies for its first USL Championship title.

4. – 2017 USL Championship Playoffs
Points: 35
Notable Upsets: No. 1 Real Monarchs SLC, No. 2 Charleston Battery, No. 3 Reno 1868 FC

What Happened: Having upgraded its roster with veterans including Chandler Hoffman and Sebastian Velasquez, Real Monarchs SLC walked away with the Players’ Shield under the guidance of Head Coach Mark Briggs, but in the opening round of the postseason the side was knocked off by No. 8 seed Sacramento Republic FC in a penalty shootout.

Elsewhere, the Charleston Battery saw their best season since lifting the title in 2012 come to an end at the hands of the No. 7 seed New York Red Bulls II, who took a 2-1 win after extra time, while Reno 1868 FC’s inaugural season was ended by No. 6 seed OKC Energy FC on a first-half goal by Wojciech Wojcik.

The Aftermath: Republic FC couldn’t follow up its road heroics as it fell to eventual finalist Sporting Kansas City II, but both Energy FC and the Red Bulls II advanced to their respective conference finals before the East’s No. 1 seed Louisville City FC claimed its first league title.

3. – 2023 USL Championship Playoffs
Points: 36
Notable Upsets: No. 1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, No. 2 Tampa Bay Rowdies, No. 3 San Diego Loyal SC

What Happened: While we had been used to a bit of chaos in the Western Conference over the years, Players’ Shield winner Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and No. 2 seed Tampa Bay Rowdies each being knocked out in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals was a first in the East.

The Hounds were eliminated 1-0 by No. 8 seed Detroit City FC on a late goal by Dominic Gasso, while No. 7 seed Birmingham Legion FC swept past the Rowdies 3-0 on goals by Tabort Etaka Preston, Diba Nwegobo and Prosper Kasim. Add Western Conference No. 3 seed San Diego Loyal SC’s defeat by No. 6 seed Phoenix Rising FC, and it added up to one of the most tumultuous opening weekends in the postseason.

The Aftermath: Neither Le Rouge or Legion were able to notch a second upset in the Conference Semifinals, falling to Louisville City and the Charleston Battery respectively, but Rising’s win in San Diego provided the platform for the league’s most remarkable underdog run. Phoenix followed with wins against No. 2 seed Orange County SC, No. 1 seed Sacramento Republic FC and away at the East’s No. 3 seed Battery to become the first team to win four consecutive road games on the way to the title.

T-1. – 2016 USL Championship Playoffs
Points: 38
Notable Upsets: No. 1 Sacramento Republic FC, No. 2 Rio Grande Valley FC, No. 3 FC Cincinnati, No. 3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

What Happened: When it comes to chaos in the USL Championship Playoffs, this was the Big Bang. The top three teams in the Western Conference were all eliminated as No. 1 seed Sacramento Republic FC fell in a penalty shootout to Orange County SC after a scoreless draw at Heart Health Park, No. 2 seed Rio Grande Valley collapsed in a 3-2 defeat against OKC Energy FC that saw the visitors score twice in second-half stoppage time, and No. 3 seed Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC fell 2-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 despite taking an early lead.

Add in the East’s No. 3 seed FC Cincinnati getting bounced by the Charleston Battery in its postseason debut at Nippert Stadium and you had brackets busted all over the country.

The Aftermath: The upsets in the opening round left first-year Sporting Kansas City II as the highest remaining seed in the West, and they used that homefield advantage to advance to the Final, defeating Orange County 2-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals after extra time and WFC2 in the Western Conference Final with a 3-0 result. Having gone through a pair of penalty shootouts, however, the East’s No. 1 seed New York Red Bulls II led by Tyler Adams and Aaron Long ultimately prevailed to win the title.

T-1. – 2025 USL Championship Playoffs
Points: 38
Notable Upsets: No. 1 Louisville City, No. 2 Charleston Battery, No. 2 Sacramento Republic FC

What Happened: Simply put, the past weekend in the USL Championship Playoffs made history. For the first time in the postseason, three of the four No. 1 and No. 2 seeds were eliminated at the first hurdle, with only Western Conference No. 1 seed FC Tulsa left standing. Louisville City’s defeat is comfortably the biggest upset in postseason history, with a 36-point gap separating the East’s No. 1 seed and No. 8 seed Detroit City FC, which took a 1-0 victory on its lone shot on target of the game by Devon Amoo-Mensah.

The defeats of the No. 2 seeds Charleston Battery and Sacramento Republic FC were no less surprising, however, with each club having lost only once at home respectively in the regular season. Each ending in scoreless draws against Rhode Island FC and Orange County SC respectively, however, the shootout was again unkind to both clubs as Charleston fell in its first shootout since a loss to Phoenix Rising FC in the 2023 Final, while Republic FC was eliminated from the spot at the same stage as a season ago, then by Las Vegas Lights FC.

The Aftermath: How this plays out from here is an open question. There are two former title-winners left standing in Orange County SC and Phoenix Rising FC, while FC Tulsa and North Carolina FC are the top seeds remaining in their respective sides of the bracket having each won their first USL Championship Playoffs game in club history this past weekend.

As the action resumes on Saturday night, the only thing that’s certain after the elimination of three of the pre-postseason favorites is everything is up for grabs now.

USL Championship Playoffs – Conference Semifinals Seeding Point Totals
T-1. 2025 – 38pts
T-1. 2016 – 38pts
3. 2023 – 36pts
4. 2017 – 35pts
5. 2021 – 32pts
6. 2020 – 31pts
7. 2019 – 28pts
T-8. 2024 – 27pts
T-8. 2018 – 27pts
10. 2022 – 26pts
11. 2015 – 21pts